Sky Italia wins UEFA rights deal
June 15, 2017
Hot on the heels of its German counterpart’s success, Sky Italia has secured exclusive live rights to all UEFA Champions League and Europa League matches from the 2018/19 season through to 2020/21, significantly strengthening Sky’s position as the leading sports content provider in Italy. The rights had previously been held by Mediaset.
Sky has acquired exclusive TV rights to over 340 matches on all platforms:
- The new Champions League format will feature four Italian teams (up from two plus one at qualifiers in the current format) increasing the minimum number of games featuring Italian teams by some 70 per cent (versus the average over the last five years)
- The TV viewing experience will get better and better as Sky launches Sky Q in Italy in 2018, enabling the most important games to be broadcast in Ultra HD.
“We are extremely pleased with this result,” commented Andrea Zappia, Sky Italia CEO. “For the first time ever, the Champions League and Europa League will be available together in an exclusive integrated offer that will allow fans to view up to seven Italian teams, more than ever before, competing against the best clubs in Europe. We will continue our track record of innovation as we look to launch Sky Q in Italy next year and broadcast the most important games in UHD. This further enhances Sky’s position as the leading sports service in Italy with Formula 1, Moto GP and NBA basketball, sitting alongside a globally recognised slate of entertainment content, including Gomorrah, The Young Pope and 1993, which are exported to more than 170 countries.”
Sky’s UK operation was outbid by BT Sport for the two most recent rounds of rights deals.
Mediaset won the last auction in 2014, paying €227 million per season. A source told Reuters the winning bid by Sky Italia was around €260 million per season, including Europa League matches.